Nevada County picayune., 1887-12-14
WASHINGTON TOPICS.
Weekly Budget of News From the
 National Capital.
[From our Special Correspondent. l

 highest praise on that document. Indeed, many of Mir. Cleveland's warmest admirers in Congress exultingly declare that it is the most pithy and courageous State paper issued since the days of Jackson. There Is naturally a chorus of discordani notes uttered in all undertone, but that the Presidents views are those of the Democratic masses, there is little reason to seriously doubt. With the President and Speaker of the House cordially concurring upon the absolute ne- cessity of tariff reform, that ques- tion dwarfs all others and becomes the chief political issue of the times. Democrats differ as to the particular methods of reaching the the desired result of reducing in- ternal taxation, but all agree that reduction is the country's only chance of financial redemption.
 And here in Washington, it is the universal opinion of all the pol iticians that the tariff question will be the chief factor iu the Presiden. tial contest of 1888.
 The organization of the Flftieth Congress was effected in deco rous manner, despite the anticipa- ton of a deadlock in the Senate, which failed to materialize, al though the public thronged the corridors of the capitol Tn the hope of witnessing sensational scenes.
 The Centennial Congress will certainly be memorable for the sweeping changes in the personnel of the House. Not since 1874, when the tidal wave of Democracy overwhelmed Republicanism, has there been such a revolution ill the membership of that body, for of the 32J who were in the last Congress, 130 failed to return.-- Among those retired are many prominent men, as fully twO.thirds of the chairmen Of committees were numbered with the defeated. Of the familiar faces missing from the Senate are Camden, Jones, of Florida, Malone, Harrison and I Whitthorne, and from the House, Morrison, Bragg, Barksda War. ner, Brady, and O'Hara and Smalls, two latter being col ored and hailing from North and South Carolina. This leaves tour brothers in black without race representative in the present Con gross.
 Speaker Carlisle enters upon his third term as presiding officer Ot the llouSr - a djSrinrtiOn "ul, con terrrd upu, iiVc II nlS prrdccrs sors the last uf these being Mi. Blaine. There Is much doubt aa to whether or not Mir. Carlisle will be able to appoint his committees before the holiday adjournmcut,a ,as, in addition to the usual pressure for desirable places, thc speaker has mach new material with which to deal. Capital gossip has as signed the following members tn clairmausaips: Mills, Why's and Means; Raudall ApprupliationS;Iu Fur ner, Elections; Cnlbertson, Judic- iarl; Bland, Coinage, Weights and Measures, Blanchard, Rivers and HarbnrS; and Herbert, Naval Af- fairs. RumOr, apparently well founded, has it that these chair manships are as good at settled.
 For once at least, the political prophets were correct in forecast. ing the late Cabinet changes.-- There is not the least doubt of MT. Lamar's prompt confirmation as ] Associate Justice when his nomi- nation shall have been reported back from the Judiciary Commit tee. Many subOrdinates ill the Interior and Postofiice department are now somewhat concerned about their uncertain tenure of place, as it is known there will be a number of changes in the force.
 The Supreme Court, in sustain ing the position of Virginia in the coupon bond cases, and of Kansas in the prohibition cases, has at once settled two important consti- tutional questions, and asserted the reserved rights of the States in a manner that doubtless delights the shade ot the great Calhoun. The decision in the lattter cases will have an important bearing DO htically, adverse to the Republ- ! cans, as it gives the Prohibition party constitutional existence.
 Washington is now crowded with yisitors--churchmen. politi- clans, and stateSmea, attracted by the American Evangelical Alliance, the presence of Congress, and the session of the National Republi. | can Executive Committee.